Overview & Reviews

The Pontiac brand is part of the General Motors family, and is home to many of the automaker's more performance-oriented vehicles. Currently, the marque offers a broad range of sporty cars and SUVs. However, as part of GM's restructuring plan, the brand is slated to be discontinued by the end of the 2010 model year.

Pontiac originated as the Oakland Car Company of Pontiac, Michigan, in 1907; it was founded by Edward Murphy. Acquired by General Motors in 1909, Oakland introduced the first Pontiac vehicle in 1926. Dubbed the "Chief of the Sixes," the car was powered by a six-cylinder engine and made its debut at that year's New York auto show. It was so successful that the Oakland name was phased out in favor of Pontiac, the name of an 18th-century chief of the Ottawa Indians. Throughout the 1930s and '40s Pontiac made coupes, sedans and wagons in the low-to-mid price ranges. A unique styling cue of Pontiac cars from the mid-'30s to the mid-'50s was known as "Silver Streak," a set of art-deco-inspired chrome "speed lines" that ran up over the length of the hood to the base of the windshield.

The 1950s saw the introduction of the Pontiac Bonneville. The sprawling, stylish cruiser offered equal measures of performance and luxury, and was a breakout hit. But it wasn't until the 1960s that the Pontiac brand truly came into its own. American manufacturers had begun to offer downsized alternatives to the gigantic cruisers that had ruled the highways in previous decades. Pontiac came to market with the compact Tempest. In 1964, Pontiac made its biggest impact yet with the creation of the GTO option for the Tempest. By equipping the car with the powerful 389 cubic-inch V8 from the full-size car line, Pontiac created the first "muscle car." Phenomenally successful, the GTO helped define the burgeoning muscle car category. Pontiac also saw tremendous success during the latter part of this decade with its Firebird and Firebird Trans Am.

The oil crisis of the '70s made fuel efficiency a priority for many car buyers. Following the lead of its GM siblings, Pontiac made compact vehicles like the Ventura and Phoenix a major part of its lineup. The '80s saw the launch of the two-seat Pontiac Fiero. Despite its modest beginnings (it was initially marketed as a "commuter car"), the Fiero eventually blossomed into a credible sports car.

The '90s saw the launch of Pontiacs like the Sunfire and Montana minivan. Pontiac has slowly lost sales due to changing tastes and a lack of differentiation between its models and those of other GM divisions. In hopes of recapturing past glory, the division embarked on a plan to retire aged models and introduce all-new ones with distinctive styling and personality. For a while, the effort seemed to be bearing fruit. New models like the Vibe, Solstice and G8 made Pontiac a brand to consider in many segments. However, GM's financial troubles in 2008 and 2009 have resulted in the company's decision to phase out Pontiac as a brand. It's expected 2010 will be Pontiac's last year for new models.

User Reviews:

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  I loved this car - 2006 Pontiac G6
  By audra - April 1 - 9:36 am

  I bought this car used last year. Everything was good until I went to make a sharp turn and the steering locked up. It acted like I had no powersteering fluid. Still acts up off and on. My gear shift is hard to adjust, acts like its trying to stick. I cant get my key out of the ignition sometimes. It acts like its stuck in there. I sat in my car for over 5 min trying to get it out. My "ice possible" light keeps flashing when the temps arent even close to being freezing. My "time, temp, language" keeps resetting itself. My fuel range is unreliable. This car is going crazy and so am I trying to figure out what its doing. Love the look, color, handle and style. Wont buy another though.

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  I like my car - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By kelly - March 30 - 1:43 am

  Fun car to drive

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  I am not sure about my ride! - 2007 Pontiac G6
  By Erica - March 24 - 10:10 am

  I love my car because its a Pontiac G6 thats red in color and has four doors. All my interior lights light up in red and some of my features are trimmed in chrome. I just recently purchased it with about 30,000 miles on it in may and I have a few minor problems such as my keypad does not work unless it decides and I am hearing a bump noise when I turn, kinda scared of my steering wheel coming off lol). I also begin hearing a whistling noise at one point but that went away. I really hope that I did not purchase the wrong vehicle because I love it so much. But I have only had it roughly three months. Everyone keeps telling me to trade and honestly I am leaning towards that. But I love my car.

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  Great car - 1999 Pontiac Grand AM
  By lawdog470 - March 23 - 8:36 pm

  I have had this car for over 6 years, and I have put over 125,000 miles on it. The car is a great buy. we are looking to buy something bigger with our 3rd child on the way. I did go through a lot of brake pads, and replaced the drivers window regulator 1 time. The dealer did tell me about the aggressive braking system before I bought the car. All other repairs were normal (oilchanges, battery 1 time, tires). Easy to work on for the do it yourself person.

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  Gas is Holding me Back - 2001 Pontiac Firebird
  By onoshedien01 - March 21 - 4:06 pm

  Overall performance when I first purchased car was excellent. No repairs needed. Maintenance was kept up from previous owner. Great condition inside/out. Bought at 65k. Take curves like a whip. Engine was eager to drive like a bat out of hell. Now at 121k still runs good but maintenance is needed.

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  My GTP - 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By cervellione - March 17 - 10:00 am

  I had a lot of trouble right off the bat with my GTP. With not more than 3000 miles on the car it completely broke down on me. After several trips to the dealership it was finally fixed and I have not had a problem since. I absolutely enjoy the power the car outs out, and the interior cannot be beat. Overall, the grand prix GTP is an outstanding vehicle and my next purchase coming up in about 6 months will be another GTP as well.

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  Very satisified - 2001 Pontiac Aztek
  By handsym - March 11 - 10:00 am

  I have had 3 trouble-free years of service from this vehicle. The ride is great and extremly quiet. My wife wants to get a new one, but the one we have has been so good, that we are holding off.

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  I loved this car.... - 2002 Pontiac Sunfire
  By maitresse2109 - March 11 - 12:16 am

  This was my 2nd car ever, from April of 2006 to this past Monday (7/2/12) when a monster storm hit and did too much damage to be repaired (total loss). I went from 63,000 to 187,000 between 06/2009-06/2012, if that tells you how good this car is. I about cried when they told me I couldnt have it back. Only things Ive ever had to replace (besides tires/brakes) was the water pump and snake belt, which together was only 250, and the alternator went out this year and was 300. Thats less than 600 for all the wear and tear I figured I have put on it. If it hadnt been for the storm I couldve most likely driven this car another 3-5 years. Gonna miss, that is for sure.

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  2004 Pontiac GP/GTP - 2004 Pontiac Grand Prix
  By Tom - March 9 - 4:40 pm

  I have owned mine for two years and have 33k on the odometer. I have not had any problems at all other than a bad seal on the gas cap. I do a lot of highway driving. The midrange acceleration is very good with the super charger for merging & passing. I average 22.5 miles a gallon (combined city/highway) No bad, the only drawback is premium fuel is required. In a nutshell, I have been satisified with the car & probably will look at another Pontiac (or other GM products) the next time around.

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  Wish I could get rid of it! - 2008 Pontiac G5
  By BLCurry - March 8 - 1:46 pm

  My car has had many small issues, speaker went out, air vents wont turn, blinker doesnt tick anymore. The one thing that set me over the edge is that the battery is in the trunk. That is really not a problem, until you combine that with the whole anti theft thing where when your battery is unhooked or dies, your key gets stuck in the ignition. How are you supposed to get to your dead or unhooked battery that is in your trunk with the key stuck in the ignition? Seriously? Most women (and this is a womans car) do not keep their spare on them. So, that leaves us with either climbing into the trunk or calling a popalock to open our trunk. Oh, and now the thing is on the recall list FANTASTIC!